Out of the tip of the Chuxi Sword, a five-colored sword energy, a thousand zhang long, burst forth, incredibly beautiful!
The ten late-stage Foundation Establishment disciples watching were stunned, looking at the astonishingly beautiful scene before them with utmost shock.
The strength Wu Tao displayed at this moment could only be described as astonishing in their eyes.
However, Wu Tao was not basking in the shock. With astonishing speed, he traversed hundreds of meters in a single step and, like an immortal, appeared above the blood clan beauty.
In the blink of an eye, the thousand zhang long five-colored sword energy slashed down towards the sky!
"Boom..."
The earth suddenly erupted with astonishing tremors and vibrations, accompanied by a deafening roar!
This blood clan beauty was sent flying an unknown distance. No one knew if she was alive or dead.
From the unexpected appearance of the blood clan beauty, to her display of divine power that put them in peril, and finally to being struck by Wu Tao’s sword, her fate unknown…
Although only half an hour had passed, it left the ten late-stage Foundation Establishment disciples dumbfounded.
Wu Tao’s reputation in Tongguan City was well-known, but these ten late-stage Foundation Establishment disciples had never seen him in action, and they still harbored some doubts.
After all, there were too many people in this world who were all show and no substance.
Now, the blood clan beauty, who had terrified these ten late-stage Foundation Establishment disciples, was easily killed with a single sword strike.
How could this not make Wu Tao’s disciples feel as if they were dreaming, their faces full of disbelief?
At this moment, Wu Tao’s figure flickered, and he suddenly appeared in the air. He patted his storage bag, summoned a few formation flags, and set up a simple concealment formation.
After setting up the formation, Wu Tao glanced at the ten pale and bloodless late-stage Foundation Establishment disciples, shook his head slightly, and said in a faint voice, "You guys go into the formation to heal first. I'll guard you."
"Yes, Captains. We will start healing immediately and will not delay the mission’s completion."
Hearing this, the ten late-stage Foundation Establishment disciples’ hearts tightened. After entering the formation, they took various spirit pills to accelerate their recovery.
...
Two hours later, their injuries had largely recovered, but when facing Wu Tao, they were all extremely respectful, a reverence that was completely different from their previous outward respect.
Having witnessed Wu Tao’s display, everyone knew that their captain's divine abilities and magical treasures were unfathomable, far beyond that of ordinary Core Formation cultivators.
This made them overjoyed and, at the same time, unconsciously revered Wu Tao.
After the ten late-stage Foundation Establishment disciples had recovered from their injuries, Wu Tao led them deeper into the Ten Thousand Mineral Mountain Range.
...
"The location shown on the ore-finding compass is indeed here, and there are residual fluctuations of blood marrow spirit jade here. Although the range appears small, it seems we'll have to split up and narrow our search."
Wu Tao scanned his surroundings and said to his ten disciples.
"Yes, Captain is right. The needle on the ore-finding compass is indeed reacting, but the duration is also very short."
"Otherwise, we wouldn't have to risk splitting up..."
Xiao Jinghe said this to his companion.
"But earlier, when we were here, there was no sign of any movement. How did fluctuations of blood marrow spirit jade suddenly appear here..."
A male disciple named Zhang Xin frowned and asked again.
"What's so strange about that? Micro fluctuations of various spirit jades are originally difficult to predict. Even though the ore-finding compass is wondrous and precious, it can't detect everything..."
"These things are not uncommon and happen frequently. There's no need to make a fuss about it," a slightly older man named Liu Xing replied calmly.
"The alien race compass hasn't detected any alien aura either. It seems no aliens are lurking here. Should we start digging? Captain, what do you think?" Xiao Jinghe suggested.
"Yes, we can. Since the ore-finding compass has detected fluctuations of blood marrow spirit jade, it would be a shame not to dig and see."
"I'll keep watch for you from above..."
Wu Tao nodded and said.
Upon hearing the captain’s words, the other disciples, even if they had other ideas, could only remain silent.
Then, under a series of commands from Wu Tao, the group of ten immediately transformed into streaks of light and flew towards the area where the ore-finding compass needle had fluctuated.
A short while later, the ten late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators suddenly appeared on a cluster of small mountains.
These small mountains looked ordinary, no different from other mountains.
"It seems this is the place. Let's not waste any more time and start digging," Xiao Jinghe said, looking at the ore-finding compass in his hand and nodding confidently, then speaking to his companions.
The nine companions behind him said nothing further. They all patted their storage bags, summoned their spirit shovels for excavation, and began to dig with all their might.
Wu Tao stood in the air, keeping watch for them.
With their spirit shovels in hand, the ten late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators dug at an astonishing speed.
In just a moment, they had dug a stone pit several feet wide and about ten feet deep.
At this point, the ten late-stage Foundation Establishment disciples under Wu Tao were completely buried in the stone pit.
After a brief rest, they continued to wield their spirit shovels, but the stone layers became increasingly hard. With a single shovel, they could dig half a foot deeper before, but now, even an inch was difficult.
These ten late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators were already sweating profusely from exhaustion.
As for Wu Tao, on one hand, he had to monitor for any approaching enemies. On the other hand, when have you ever seen a leader doing manual labor?
Didn't Wu Tao bring these ten burdens precisely because if there was any dirty or hard work, he could push it all onto them, saving himself from doing anything?
Or, if there were any extremely dangerous places to go, he could use them as cannon fodder.
This was not just Wu Tao's idea; the higher-ups in Tongguan City all thought this way, and even the disciples themselves knew it.
But even if they knew, what could they do? They could only comply.
Doing it offers a chance to live, not doing it guarantees death. No one is foolish.
Wu Tao was once the same as them. It was only after reaching the Core Formation stage that his status greatly increased, transforming him from a pawn into a player.
After several more shovels of碎石 (gravel) were thrown out of the pit, wisps of five-colored mist, like colorful clouds, began to rise from the pit.
The fact that five-colored mist could rise from within the stone pit clearly indicated that there was more to it underneath.
Even if these ten late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators toiled endlessly, the greatest benefit from excavating the blood marrow spirit jade would still go to Wu Tao.
There was no other way; Wu Tao had the stronger fist. In this world, only those with strong fists could obtain the greatest benefits.
At this moment, the anomaly emanating from this place reached its peak, attracting the attention of nearby alien races.
Just then, dozens of dark gray streaks of light flew towards them at high speed, clearly having noticed the anomaly and intending to seize the treasure by force.
"Hmm, Big Brother, it's indeed this place."
The dozens of dark gray streaks of light converged, revealing dozens of rat people, each with a cultivation base comparable to or exceeding that of the Foundation Establishment stage.
The speaker was the leader among them, a rat general-level expert whose cultivation was comparable to the mid-stage Core Formation.
"Someone is mining here!"
"It is their fated calamity to be discovered while mining. No one can be blamed; they can only blame their bad luck."
Another great rat general-level expert, a late-stage Core Formation cultivator, replied.
These two great rats let out hearty laughter, as if they had gained some immense advantage. The smaller rats behind them also joined in the shouting.
The rat race possessed innate special sensory abilities, allowing them to perceive an enemy's strength.
In the minds of Shu Da Fu and Shu Er Fu, the human cultivator below, even if he had reached the late-stage Core Formation, what of it…
How could one person defeat two?
As for the ten late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators, didn't they have subordinates? They could let their subordinates deal with them.
After Shu Da Fu finished laughing, he suddenly opened his mouth and a long staff flew out. He brandished it towards the dozens of subordinates behind him, then turned back and said, "To avoid prolonging the night, little brother, let's attack together."
"These humans are unlucky to have run into us."
Shu Da Fu’s mention of "prolonging the night" referred to the possibility of other alien races seeing this anomaly and fighting for it.
Shu Er Fu smiled in agreement, also taking out a long staff-like magical artifact. He and his brother Shu Da Fu, along with their subordinates, charged towards Wu Tao and the others.
Wu Tao, who was keeping watch in mid-air, immediately saw a group of rat people with pointed mouths and small, beady green eyes, their faces filled with cunning and greed, charging towards him, wielding their magical artifacts and treasures.
Wu Tao's brow twitched slightly, and he unleashed the Chuxi Sword.
An astonishing hundred zhang sword energy appeared, shocking Shu Da Fu, Shu Er Fu, and the dozens of subordinates behind them into retreating.
As the Chuxi Sword moved, the cold glint contained within its tip made Shu Da Fu and Shu Er Fu's hearts suddenly pound. A sense of regret appeared in both their hearts.
However, before they could think further, a subordinate behind them suddenly remembered something and said to Shu Da Fu and Shu Er Fu, "Boss, looking at the anomaly, it seems to be a blood marrow spirit jade mine..."
Upon hearing this, Shu Da Fu and Shu Er Fu's eyes flashed green light, and they asked excitedly, "Are you sure?"
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